The Boston Strangler's Confession -Truth or Fiction? Part 1

The community wanted justice – they wanted to rest again at night, knowing that the savage killer was behind bars. Five weeks after he was convicted and sent to Bridgewater State Mental Hospital pending his appeal, he escaped. Known as the biggest manhunt in the state’s history, Desalvo quietly surrendered to the police a day later at a uniform shop after sharing a friendly cup of coffee with the employees. Of the two thousand people who gathered outside the police station to view the escapee – the infamous Boston Stranger – many were disappointed by his mellow demeanor and average guise. The few shouts of “kill him” quickly faded to silent disbelief that such a harmless looking man could murder and sexually assault thirteen defenseless woman.

But not all serial killers look like Charles Manson. Jeffrey Dahmer could have passed as a bag boy at the local supermarket. After forty years of embarrassment, it is understandable why the DeSalvo family denies Albert’s guilt, but why is a family member of one of the victims questioning the validity of his confession? And they are not the only ones. Susan Kelly, author of The Boston Stranglers: The Public Conviction of Albert DeSalvo and the True Story of Eleven Shocking Murders has made several persuasive points in her fight to clear Desalvo’s name. Next month’s article: The Boston Strangler's Confession - Truth or a Fiction? Part 2 will explain why many consider DeSalvo to be innocent and the reasons why he confessed to a crime he may have not committed.

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